Maryland Frequently Ask Questions Real Estate License

The state of Maryland requires all new real estate salespersons to take a state-approved 60-hour pre-license course. The course teaches the basic principles about the business of real estate and applicable rules and regulations.

You will need 60 hours of pre-license education for your Maryland salesperson license.

You can take the 60-hour pre-license education as a classroom course or an online course. Online learning is the fastest and easiest way to work through the required education. You need to select a state-certified real estate school.

Yes! Taking the pre-license education online is the fastest and easiest way to complete your required hours. Some courses are self-paced for even greater flexibility with your schedule.

Maryland has no high school diploma required, so it’s possible to take the course while still in high school. Just remember you must be at least 18 to hold a real estate license.

The MREC will waive the educational and experience requirements outlined in 17-305(1)(i) and (ii). To take advantage of this, send a Letter of Good Standing from the Maryland Court of Appeals within 30 days of its issue with a cover letter. You’ll still need to sit the state exam.

No, your college credits do not count for the Maryland pre-license course.

Yes, the MD pre-license course wraps with a final exam. You must pass this exam before your course provider sends state license exam testing approval to the state’s vendor, PSI.

You must pass all the quizzes and the comprehensive final exam before your state-certified real estate school will issue your completion certificate and send your testing eligibility for the state licensing exam to the state’s testing vendor, PSI.

The precise number of questions on your pre-license course exams varies. The course administrator will let you know how many questions are on the different quizzes and the comprehensive final.

RealEstateU students will find their course completion certificate in their account. Login to download your completion.

The MREC publishes a list of state-certified real estate schools all salesperson applicants can choose from.

You can’t take the state licensing exam without your real estate school sending your testing eligibility to PSI. In this way, MREC knows you’ve completed the course. Keep your certificate for the license application.

No, but it does notify PSI, the state licensing exam vendor. You can’t take the exam without your school notifying PSI of your successful course completion.

Your course completion and testing eligibility are good for one year after passing the pre-license education course.

First, you must be at least 18 years of age to hold a Maryland real estate license. You must also be in good standing and have a good character. Otherwise, you must first complete the 60-hour pre-license education course and pass the state licensing exam before you can apply for a Maryland real estate license.

Maryland offers an online application portal. After passing the state exam, you’ll receive an email with your registration number and instructions. If you have been convicted of a criminal offense or had a disciplinary action against a prior professional real estate license - you need to request a paper application.

Yes! All applicants with no prior criminal history or disciplinary action against a real estate license will need to use the online application portal to submit their application.

The cost of your license application fee is $90. That fee includes the $20 Guaranty Fund payment.

You have one year from the date of passing your state licensing exam to file your license application. It's in your best interest not to delay the process. Complete your application as soon as you are hired by a sponsoring Maryland broker or request an active real estate license before your year is up.

You can't receive an active real estate license without being hired by a Maryland licensed real estate broker. Your license application will ask for your employing broker's information.

The main difference between an active and inactive license is that you are able to be compensated for your work in a real estate transaction with an active license. You cannot legally be paid for helping with the purchase or sale of real estate with an inactive license.

When you submit your license application online, you can request an inactive license. No affiliation with a Maryland license broker is required. However, you also cannot perform licensed real estate activities.

You must meet all of the requirements set by the Maryland Real Estate Commission, such as completing 60 hours of pre-license education and passing the state exam, plus pay your real estate license fee. All salespersons must work under the supervision of an employee licensed broker.

Once you have been issued a license, it will be managed online. You'll have to log on to the licensing portal and request to change your status. You can find the option under the Features section.

A salesperson's license means that you are able to assist in the purchase and sale of real estate in the state of MD. You are required to work under a broker’s supervision. A real estate broker license enables you to hire others to work for you in the business of real estate and to operate your own brokerage agency.

Log back into the Maryland Department of Labor licensing portal to see your application status. You can also do a license search to see if you have been issued an active license.

Maryland requires all applicants to have demonstrated a good character and reputation. Prior convictions for offenses like forgery, fraud, moral turpitude, violent offenses and are all grounds for having your license application denied, but the MREC does evaluate your criminal history on a case-by-case basis.

MREC does not automatically disqualify someone for a real estate license if they have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. They weigh each conviction on a case-by-case basis and give the applicant the right to appeal if the application is denied.

While Maryland uses an online licensing application process, anyone convicted of a criminal offense must submit a manual application to the MREC with supporting documentation in the form of True Test copies regarding your conviction. You must call 410-230-6230 for the form.

No, Maryland does not have a fingerprint and background check requirement for the salesperson’s license.

You must complete the following steps to earn your MD Salesperson’s license: 1) Show proof of pre-license education, such as completing 60-Hour MD Pre-license Salesperson Course 2) Pass the MD salesperson state exam 3) Choose a sponsoring broker 4) Submit a salesperson license application with verifying paperwork

In total, it will cost as little as $383 to earn your Maryland real estate salesperson license. These costs are not paid all upfront but spread out over time.

Earn your MD salesperson license in approx. 2 months.
1) Complete the 60-hour pre-license course online: 2-3 weeks.
2) Schedule and pass the MD state exam: 1-3 weeks.
3) Find a hiring broker. A few weeks to months.
4) Apply for your license. A time estimate is not available.

Maryland requires all salesperson applicants to pass the state licensing exam. You’ll also take some quizzes and tests as part of the pre-license course.

Yes, Maryland utilizes an online application process for the real estate license. You must wait for the email from MREC after passing the state exam for your registration number and instructions.

In Maryland, you must be at least 18 years of age to earn a salesperson real estate license.

Salesperson applicants do not need to hold a high school diploma to earn a real estate license in Maryland.

Maryland does not have a state residency requirement to earn an MD salesperson license.

The Maryland Department of Labor, Real Estate Commission, has placed all the laws and regulations onto this webpage. You'll find pertinent regulations under Maryland General Assembly Statutes, Title 17, business occupations and professions, annotated code of Maryland. More regulations are under Title 09-11.

You will use the Department of Labor online licensing system to renew your Maryland salesperson license. When it's time, you will log in online and start the process.

The salesperson license renewal fee is $70.

Your Maryland salesperson license is good for two years before you will need to submit your proof of continuing education and pay for a license renewal.

First-time license renewals do not have any special continuing education requirements. You'll need the same hours as any other salesperson, which is a total of 15 hours.

Inactive license holders must meet the same licensing renewal requirements as active license holders. For salespersons, this means taking the required 15 hours in the required classes in legislative, brokerage relationships and disclosure, ethics, and fair housing.

You are required to take 15 hours of continuing education for your license renewal. You are also required to take classes and hours as follows: ● Legislative, 3 hours ● Brokerage relationships and disclosure, 3 hours ● Ethics, 3 hours ● Fair housing, 1.5 hours

Use the Department of Labor online licensing system to renew your Maryland salesperson license.

If you fail to renew your Maryland license, it is considered an expired license. You have up to 3 years to apply for reinstatement without needing to retest on the state exam. You must also become compliant with your continuing education requirements, pay all past-due renewal fees, and pay a reinstatement fee of $150.

If you apply for reinstatement within two years of the expiration date, you can reinstate your license online. You’ll need to be compliant with your continuing education requirements, pay all past-due renewal fees, and pay a reinstatement fee of $150. License renewal fees are $70.

Having a Maryland real estate salesperson license means that you can assist homeowners or other agencies with their real estate needs and be financially compensated for your work. You can help with the sale, purchase, leasing arrangements, or property management for residential and commercial real estate.

A real estate license is required anytime you assist someone with a real estate transaction or work in Property Management and are paid for your work.

Maryland only offers reciprocity with Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. If you are licensed in another state, you will have to go through a different process.

To take advantage of reciprocity, you'll need to have a license in Pennsylvania or Oklahoma. Review the specific terms of the agreement to make sure you meet the guidelines for your state. Submit a complete certified license history with your salesperson application and pay the license fee.

You can apply for out-of-state license recognition to waive some of the licensing requirements. Send a certificate with your full licensing history from the state where you were first licensed and are currently licensed. Send within 30 days of the issue date from your home state with a personally signed cover letter.

If you have not held a real estate license before, follow the same steps as a Maryland resident to earn your salesperson license. If you are applying from another state and you already hold a real estate license, you can apply for out-of-state recognition or follow the steps for reciprocity if you are from PA or OK.

Yes, Real Estate U is a recently approved pre-license course provider. We offer the 60-hour course for $249 as an affordable and flexible way to meet your education requirement.

No. Your real estate course provider sends PSI, the state’s testing vendor, your eligibility once you successfully pass the course. You can’t schedule the exam without PSI entering your information into their system.

Your testing eligibility is valid for one year after passing the pre-license education course. Schedule and pass the exam inside of this window.

Contact PSI directly to schedule the exam appointment after receiving an approval email. Online registration is the fastest way to set up your state licensing exam. You can also call (855) 744-0318.

The Maryland state exam fee is $44 made payable directly to PSI.

You directly pay PSI, the state’s exam vendor, using a credit card. PSI accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover cards. If you don’t have a credit card, you can mail a check, money order, or cashier’s check. All payments must be made before the exam.

It may take 1-2 business days for PSI to receive and process your testing eligibility from your pre-license course provider. Use instructions for the online registration. You can be set up for your exam within 15 minutes.

PSI runs testing centers in Baltimore, College Park Center, Crofton Center, Hagerstown Center, Lanham Center, and Salisbury. Find the testing location addresses in the Candidate Handbook or a search of the PSI website.

In most cases, yes, you will still need to take the state exam if you are licensed in another state. When you apply for reciprocity or for out-of-state recognition, the Maryland Real Estate Commission will decide if you need to sit for the state exam and send your testing eligibility to PSI.

Any changes to your MD licensing exam appointment must be at least 48 hours in advance or you forfeit the exam fee. Voicemails and emails do not count as notification. You must call (855) 744-0318 and speak to a representative to cancel or change the exam date.

The Maryland Salesperson Pre-licensure Exam consists of two sections totaling 110 questions worth 135 points. The National section asks 80 multiple-choice questions. You must answer 56 correctly to pass. The State section asks 30 multiple-choice questions, and you must answer 21 correctly to pass.

You will be tested on national and state real estate-related content. Topics include property ownership, land use controls, financing, market analysis, property disclosures, and contracts. State-specific questions ask about the Commission, licensing, regulatory requirements, statutes on licensees, and office procedures

You do not need to bring a calculator, but you are allowed to bring one as long as it is silent, battery-operated, and nonprogrammable. It cannot have paper tape printing capabilities or an alphabetic keyboard.

You will need to bring (2) forms of identification. One must be state or federal government-issued, like a driver’s license or passport. The secondary form can be another primary ID or something which contains your signature, like a credit or debit card.

PSI can accommodate testing modifications in accordance with the ADA. Anyone requesting accommodations must fill out the accommodations request form and submit documentation from a medical authority or specialist about their limitations.

No personal items, food, or drink are allowed in the test center. You will be asked to show you are not hiding any recording devices. You can go to the bathroom, but you will not be given extra time on the exam.

Yes, Maryland does not require you to have a sponsoring broker before taking the state licensing exam.

Yes! You have one year from the date of passing the exam to file your salesperson license application, or you’ll have to start the process again.

Your next step is to find a sponsoring, licensed real estate broker to work under. Your broker’s information is part of your license application. The MREC will email you a registration number and application instructions. You’ll need to set up an account and follow the steps to submit the application.

PSI, the state’s testing vendor, will send an exam report to the Maryland Real Estate Commission notifying them you have passed.

If you don’t pass, you have an unlimited number of retakes as long as you do it within your one-year testing eligibility window. You have to pay the exam fee of $44 each time you take the test.

You’ll know if you passed or failed as soon you finish the exam! The computer screen will notify you if you have passed or failed. An official score report will also be given to you before you leave the test center.

Yes, you can, but you’ll need to wait 24 hours to reschedule. You can retake as many times as you need within your one-year testing eligibility window. You’ll have to pay the exam fee of $44 each time you retest.

Wait 24 hours before rescheduling the exam. Then, go to the PSI website or call (855) 744-0318 to set the exam appointment.

Each time you retake the Maryland state licensing exam costs $44.

No, you can just retake the portion that you failed. You'll still need to submit a new registration form to PSI with the $44 testing fee.